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Conflicts of interest policy

A conflict of interest refers to any circumstance that could reasonably be perceived as exerting undue influence on, or compromising, the impartial and objective handling, review, or presentation of a scholarly work. Such conflicts may affect the perceived integrity and value of a publication and can arise from financial, professional, contractual, or personal relationships.

Examples of potential conflicts of interest include, but are not limited to:

• A prior professional or personal relationship between an author and an editor or reviewer;
• A financial or personal stake in the research outcomes;
• Undisclosed financial sponsorship of the research by an interested third party;
• A financial or personal interest in suppressing the research findings;
• Ownership of a pending patent related to the work.

Authors, reviewers, and members of the editorial team are expected to uphold the Nolan Principles of Public Life and are obligated to disclose any conflict(s) of interest that could influence the handling or evaluation of a submission to the journal.

Although it is challenging to define a precise threshold for what constitutes a significant conflict, two guiding principles apply:

1. Disclose any conflict that could cause embarrassment if revealed publicly after publication;
2. Disclose any information that, if later uncovered, might lead a reasonable reader to feel misled or deceived.

If there is uncertainty regarding whether a situation constitutes a conflict of interest, authors and reviewers should consult the editor or commissioning editor prior to submission. Any suspected undisclosed conflict of interest in an active or published work will be addressed in accordance with our research and publishing ethics policy.

Authors

Authors submitting manuscripts must declare any potential conflicts of interest that could compromise the objectivity or integrity of the publication. The corresponding author bears responsibility for providing this declaration on behalf of all co-authors. Such disclosures must be included both at the time of submission and within the manuscript itself, clearly identifying any competing interests. Authors must also disclose any financial support received from third parties for the research.

Editorial Teams

Members of a journal's editorial team may submit their own work to the journal, provided they adhere to the journal's self-authorship guidelines and are subject to the same rigorous review process as all other submissions. Where an editor, guest editor, or member of the editorial advisory board is listed as an author, this must be declared at submission, and the individual will be recused from all aspects of the peer review and decision-making process. The manuscript will be managed by an independent editor to ensure impartiality. Editors and board members must also recuse themselves from handling submissions where a competing interest exists, such as prior co-authorship with one or more authors or affiliation with the same institution.

Reviewers

To maintain objectivity, reviewers must assess any potential conflicts of interest before agreeing to review a manuscript and should decline the invitation if they cannot provide an unbiased evaluation. In such cases, an alternative reviewer will be appointed. Reviewers must also disclose any relevant financial, academic, or personal interests to the editor, which will be considered when interpreting their recommendations.

If a reviewer suspects that the handling editor may have a conflict of interest, they should notify the commissioning editor, who will investigate the matter and take appropriate action in accordance with COPE guidelines.